Jermain Defoe Sets New Record – His Goals In Europe For Tottenham
By Logan Holmes
Jermain Defoe – new goalscoring record [Jav The_DoC_66]Jermain Defoe became Tottenham’s leading goalscorer in European competitions with his second half penalty against FC Sheriff at White Hart Lane. The penalty came in the 67th minute and as he crashed the ball into the roof of the net, Defoe moved on to 23 European goals, one ahead of Tottenham Legend Martin Chivers who was looking on from an executive box in the West Stand.
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It is difficult for modern players to beat long standing records as a player’s time at a club tends to be briefer with moves more frequent. Despite Defoe moving to Portsmouth for a year, he has shown loyalty to Spurs and great determination to take his opportunity in the team when it is given yo him. He has thrived in this season’s Europa League matches, scoring 7 goals in 5 games.
The First European Goal
Jermain’s first European goal was in the UEFA Cup against Dinamo Bucharest at White Hart Lane in December, 2006. That night he scored twice, either side of half-time, as Spurs secured a 3 – 1 win.
v Sevilla (h): Defoe’s goal the following April was the start of Spurs’ late recovery from two down but they went out of the UEFA Cup at the quarter-final stage after drawing 2 – 2.
2007 – 08 UEFA Cup
September, 2007 v Anorthosis Famagusta (h): Defoe scored twice in a 6 – 1 win.
October, 2007 v Getafe (h): Defoe put Spurs ahead early in the first half but Getafe equalised quickly and went on to score a late winner. The lasting memory of this match will be the rumours going around the ground during the game that Martin Jol was to be sacked – and so it came to pass.
2010-11 Champions League
August, 2010 v Young Boys Berne (h): Defoe’s goal came in a 4 – 0 win with a Peter Crouch hat-trick as Spurs recovered from a goal deficit from the 1st leg to ensure their Champions League dream didn’t crash at the first hurdle.
December, 2010 v FC Twente (a): Defoe scored twice in a 3 – 3 draw as Spurs became the first team to score at least two goals in every match in the Group stages of the Champions League.
2011-12 Europa League
August, 2011 v Hearts (a): a goal in a 5 – 0 win in Scotland.
September, 2011 v Shamrock Rovers (h): a headed goal as Defoe scored from Andros Townsend’s cross in a 3 – 1 win
December, 2011 v Shamrock Rovers (a): Defoe scored the third goal in a 4 – 0 win as Spurs went out of the Europa League.
2012-13 Europa League
Under Andre Villas-Boas Defoe has been very productive over the past eighteen months. in good early season form last year he carried that form into the Europea Leage with a hat-trick against Maribor at White Hart Lane which also helped him climb up Tottenham’s all-time goal-scoring list.
November, 2012 v Maribor (h): a hat-trick in a 3 – 1 win in the Group stages.
December, 2012 v Panathinaikos (h): a late goal from Defoe secured a 3 – 1 win and qualification to the knock-out stages of the competition.
2013-14 Europa League
August, 2013 v Dinamo Tblisi (h): Defoe scored twice in five minutes before the interval in the 3 – 0 win as he made a point to Andre Villas-Boas.
September, 2013 Tromso (h): Two goals either side of half-time set Spurs on their way to another 3 – 0 success.
October, 2013 v Anzhi (a): the opening goal in Russia midway through the first half.
October, 2013 v FC Sheriff (a): the second goal for Spurs in the 75th minute as Spurs maintained their unbeaten record in this season’s Europa League. This goal brought Defoe level with Martin Chivers on 22 goals in Europe.
The Record – Number 23
7th November, 2013
v FC Sheriff (h): a penalty in the 67th minute after a foul on Erik Lamela present the opportunity for Defoe to set a new record. He stepped with confidence and put Spurs two up as the penalty crashed into the roof of the net.
CONGRATULATIONS!
Congratulations to Jermain Defoe on setting the new record and may there be many more European goals in the coming months as Spurs progress through the knock-out stages of the Europa League.
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